Adjusting means



Patented, Dec. 14, 1937 ltoyal F. Sickles, Springfield, and Herbert l". Oliver, West Springfield, Mass., assignorsto li'. W.Sicklos Company, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 19, 193s, serial No. 80,608

,' Glaims. (Cl. 151-30) 'I'his invention relates to improvements'in adjusting devices and is directed more particularly to means to4 facilitate the rigid securing of one .s member `in various positions of adjustment with relation to other'members.

'I'he principal 'objects of the invention are di,

rected to the provision of means to facilitatethe-` adjustment of one part relative to another and this isaccomplished according to the invention j by novel means which is simple in form so as to be economical to manufactureand yet which is eiiicient in its operation.

The novel features of the invention are adapted for broad application but is particularly useful in connection with radio apparatus where it is customary to move one part into various positions of adjustment with respect to another and wherein said one part must be held against shifting from its adjusted position. For purposes of explanation, it may be assumed d that it is desired to move one mem-ber such as a coil relative to another 'coil and to lock the movf able one in various positions of adjustment. In radio apparatus, the coils referred to may be ex- 2 5 tremely. small in size andthe increments of adjustment may be extremely small wherefore in order to obtain th desired adjustment, itis necessary to provide a device which permits very slight movements of. the movablemember. To overcome the possibility that said parts may be .shifted or moved, the novel me ns of this invention "eiliciently and securely l ks said movable part in position in a very emcient manner.

-Various and numerous novel features and adiai? vantages of the invention will be hereinafter more fully referred toi in connection with the accom` -panying description of the preferred form of the invention, reference being had to the accompany- 40 ing drawing wherein: Y

j y Fig. 1 is a. side elevational viewJof an apparatus embodying the novel features of the invention; Fig.'2 is an enlarged plan view'showing a lock p washer member of-thesinvention;

4the washer shown in Fig. 1; and Y Fig. 4 is a agmentary perspective view showingthe cen al part'of the washer shown `in Figs.

50 veiition. l

Referring now to the drawing more "indetail,4 the yinvention'will be, fully described. l

As before stated,'the invention isjadapted for broad application. Invorder however Vto facilitate ,n aclear understanding oi' the novel .fatili thereland 2 to explain certain features of the in' of it will be described in connection with a pair of coils 2r and 4, one of which it is desired to move or adjust relative to the other by the means now to be described.

The coil 4i is associated with a member 6 which 5 extends from the support 8 and the coil 2 is movable towards and away from the said coil`4. A

` screw lil is in screw-threaded engagement with the base or support 8 and its upper end is xed to and carries the coil 2. The lower end of the 10 screw ill is provided with a slot I2 to receive a tool for 'rotating the same or of course said screw may be otherwise rotated in any well-known manner.

It will be appreciated that the screw-thread of 15 the screw I0 and of the support 8 may be and ordinarily would be more or less loose to facilitate the free rotation of the screw I0. This looseness not only permits the screw to move relative to the support more or less but the lost motion is 20 very objectionable when it is desired to obtain the iine adjustment necessary.

' It is possible of course to use'a locknut on the screw for binding the screw to the support 8 but a lock nut mustbe turned up against the support. During the turning4 of the nut the screw is likely to be rotated more or less. This of course destroys the accuracy of the adjustment of the screw.

To yieldingly hold the screw against turning 3 and thereforel to lock the same and at the same time tol eliminate any lost motion or looseness between the screw-threads of the screw and base,

'the novel washer Mis provided. This washer is y screw. In fact the diameter of the opening cor- Fig. .3l is a transverse sectional view through l responds rather closely to the root diameter of the screw at or near the bottom of its threads. A notch 20A leads outwardly from the said opening I8 and the parts' 22 and 24 of the Washer adjacent the opening I8 and the notch 20 are disposed in different planes.l Thatis, the'part 22 50 may be depressed while'` the part 24 is elevated slightly. 'It-is desired that the parts 22 and 24 be offset or disposed in planes which are spaced from one another ,a distance substantially equal 1GO the distance. between adjacent ,threads of the 55 screw while the peripheral edge 26 of the opening I8 of the washer between the part 22 and part 24 is spirally arranged to conform with the spiral formed by the thread of the screw.

As stated, the washer is of relatively vthinmetal and being provided with the slots I6, it is more or less spring-like so that the peripheral edge of the opening I8 thereof functions as'a thread in the spiral groove of the screw.

In operation, the washer I4 is screwed onto the screw III while said screw I is screwed into the support 8. The washer I4 may be disposed on either side of the support 8 and when the washer i4 is adjacent the support 8 so as to bear thereon it is rotated. With reference to .the drawing, it may be assumed that the thread of the screw IU is a right-hand thread and in this case the washer is rotated in the direction of the arrow. The rotation may be accomplished by means of a tool in engagement with a slot I6 thereof. 'Ihis rotation of the washer relative to the screw causes the washer to be flattened out more or less so that it yieldingly bears on the base 8 or frictionally engages the same and exerts endwise pressure against the screw.

The pressureof course may be varied according to the amount of rotation of the washer relative to the screw in abutment or engagement with the support. Of course the washer may be varied in diameter, the length of the slots I6 may be varied and the thickness of the material of which the washer is made may be varied. These factors being all within relatively wide ranges facilitate various results.

With the washer thus rotated so that it bears on the support with a spring-like action and urging the screw axially, the screw is held against rotation and axial movements thereby so that any jarring will not cause the adjustment to be changed and any looseness between the thread of the screw i0 and support 8 is eliminated.

When it is desired to adjust the screw it is rotated as may be desired but since the washer yieldingly bears on the support it resists rotation and does not turn as the screw is turned. 'Iherefore it is possible to adjust the screw up and down and at ally times the screw is held by the washer against rotative and axial movements.

In an ordinary case where a screw is used for adjustment there is likely to be such an amount of play in the threads that the screw will not remain in its adjusted position. In lthis case however the washer functions to hold the screw in its position of adjustment and ina way to be distinguished from a lock nut.- Where a lock nut is used and when the adjustment is made, the nut must be turned on the screw to bear against some part such as the support and in the turning of the nut to its final position, there is a tendency to also turn the screw. In this case, however,

. the screw may be turned without any particular regard tothe washer after it has been once brought under the proper tension and therefore it is an easy matter to rotate the screw to bring about the extremely fine increments of adjustment which are desired in connection with radio apparatus and the like.

While we have described the invention in great detail and with respect to a preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from. the spirit and scope of the invention.

What itis' desired to claim and secure by LettersPatent of the United States is;

1. As a new article of manufacture, a lock washer for yieldingly holding a screw comprising, a dished disc having a slot extending ina central opening for a screw, the said disk in` clining downwardly from its central part to its periphery and provided with a notch in the periphery of said opening, the said opening being smaller in diameter than the outside diameter of the screw with which it is used and portions of the disk adjacent said notch at the periphery of the opening being relatively offset in different planes the distance between which is equal to the space between the threads of the screw with which it is used and the periphery of said open-k ing being disposed in a spiral to engage between the thread of said screw.

3. The -combination of asupport and a screw threadedly engaging the same with a lock washer for resisting rotating movements of said screw comprising, a disc-like member having an opening the periphery of which'engages the groove between the thread of said screw, the said member being of spring-like thin metal provided with a slot in its periphery and being dished so that a surface thereof adjacent its periphery frictionally bears on said support and its central part is spaced therefrom, all adapted and arranged whereby said member yieldingly bears on said support to yieldingly urge said screw in one direction and resists but permits rotation thereof.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a washer for yieldingly holding comprising, a relatively thin normally fiat disk-like body of flexible metal having a central part provided with an opening the periphery of which is arranged to threadedly engage a screw and a relatively fiat peripheral portion, the said central portion and peripheral portions beingdisposed in different planes and the said peripheral portion being slotted to render the central and peripheral portion relatively yieldable, all adapted and arranged so that as the washer is engaged with a. screw which threadedly engages a member a relatively fiat surface portion thereof adjacent an edge of said edge portion may frictionally engage a surface of the member to exert yielding pressure axially of the screw whereby the washer resists rotation thereof by the screw and yieldingly resists rotation of the screw in either direction.

5. A washer device fora screw threadedly engaging and extending from a support comprising, a two-dimensional disc-like member of relatively thin spring-like metal which is dish-shaped having a peripheral portion and a central portion in different planes, the said central portion which is dish-shaped being provided with an opening for threadedly engaginga, screw and the peripheral portion being substantially smooth and slotted to render the said portion flexible and adapted to frictionally engage a support, all adapted and arranged whereby said member threadedly engaging a screw with its peripheral portion frictionally engaging a support may exert yielding pressure axially of a screw to resist while permitting rotation thereof relative to a support but is rotatable the central portion provided with an opening,

threadedly engaging the screw and having its peripheral portion relatively smooth and slotted to make said portion flexible and adapted to fric` tionally engage `said support and exert yielding pressure axially of the screw to resist while per'- Y mitting rotation of said lscrew 'and rbeing'rotatable in either direction relative to said support and screw to vary the pressure exerted on the said screw whereby the screw may be rotatably adjusted relative to the support whilst uncle yielding pressure.

' yielding pressure.

7. The combination in radio apparatus of a support and a screw for a unit threadedly engaging and extending therefrom with a deviceof the class described comprising. a two-dimen- A sional disc-like member of relatively thin springlike metal'which is'dish-shaped having a slotted lperipheral portion and a central portion in difier- 1 ent planes, the central portion provided with an opening threadedly engaging the screw and having its peripheral portion relatively smooth and slotted to make said portion flexible and adapted to frictionally engage said support and exertyielding pressure axially ofv the screw to resist while permitting rotation of said screw and being vrotiaitaltlle in eitherdirection relative `to said support and screwto vary the pressure exerted on the said screwA whereby the screw-may be rotatably adjusted relative to the support whilst under ROYAL F. sIoKIJEs. HERBERT F. OLIVER 

